2008 IT White Paper
The Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) published a 2008 IT White Paper, Information and Communications in Japan in July, 2008. Some of the key findings in its "IT and Society" section include the following (the statistics are as of the end of 2007).
88 million Internet users
88 million people, or 69% of Japan’s 127 million population are Internet users. Of these Japanese Internet users, 68% use both personal computers and mobile terminals (cell-phones and PHSs) to connect to the Internet. 17% use personal computers only and 11% use mobile terminals only
Online shopping is most widely used for buying travel packages and tickets
Among the people who purchased travel and tickets in the past year, 53% said that they purchase online more frequently than from travel agent storefronts. Music and videos follow this trend, with 32% of those who have purchased such items doing so most frequently via websites. The chart below has been copied from the 2008 IT White Paper. The blue area shows the proportion of those who most frequently purchase online.
Privacy and credit card information security is are concerns
When consumers are asked what their concerns are regarding online shopping, 74% of them cite privacy security, and 74% (not necessarily the same individuals) mention credit card information security. 51% of respondents worry that they may receive products that are not what they expect. 50% of them worry that they may not receive anything after making their payments.
